Cape Town - Police have launched a hunt for nearly 300 maintenance defaulters in the Western Cape who owe some R2.6 million in arrears payments.
Hishaam Mohamed, regional head of the Department of Justice, said more than 300 police officers were searching for “fugitives from justice” as part of Operation Isondlo, which aims to find 296 maintenance defaulters who owe an estimated R2.6m.
The top 20 defaulters represent 60 percent, or R1.6m, of the total value of maintenance arrears in the province.
Top of the list of defaulters is a Strand man who owes more than R223 000. He is followed by a man from Mossel Bay who owes R164 259, another from Simon’s Town who owes R162 000, a second man from Simon’s Town who owes R150 810 and a man from Khayelitsha who owes R117 000.
“There will be road blocks and Home Affairs will also be searching for defaulters,” said Mohamed.
The operation, which started last week, will run until next November.
Mohamed said maintenance officers would now physically search for defaulters, rather than simply sending them letters.
The department had also started a process to allow garnishee payments to be made to maintenance beneficiaries, he said.
Cape Argus